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King Hákon Hákonarson
|age = 53 |personality= Liege |religion = |image2 = |caption2 = }} King Hákon Hákonarson is the ruler of the Kingdom of Norway. He starts as a lord of Niðarós. Historical Background Hákon Hákonarson was born on c. March/April 1204 in Folkenborg, Norway to Haakon Sverresson (King Haakon III of Norway) and Inga of Varteig. His father was the leader of the birkebeiner faction in the ongoing civil war against the bagler. Haakon III was dead by the time his son Haakon was born, but Inga's claim was supported by several of Haakon Sverresson's followers. Haakon was born in bagler-controlled territory, and his mother's claim placed them in a dangerous position. While the bagler started hunting Haakon, a group of birkebeiner warriors fled with the child in the winter of 1205/06, heading for King Inge Bårdson (also known as King Inge II of Norway). Haakon is described as bright and witty, and as being small for his age. When he was three years old, Haakon was captured by the bagler but refused to call the bagler king Philip Simonsson his lord (he nonetheless came from the capture unharmed). When he learned at the age of eight that King Inge and his brother Earl Haakon the Crazy had made an agreement of the succession to the throne that excluded himself, he pointed out that the agreement was invalid due to his attorney not having been present. He subsequently identified his attorney as "God and Saint Olaf." Haakon was notably the first Norwegian king to receive formal education at a school. From the late civil war era, the government administration relied increasingly on written communication, which in turn demanded literate leaders. After Inge II death in 1217, a dispute erupted over who was to become his successor. In addition to Haakon who gained the support of the majority of the birkebeiners including the veterans who had served under his father and grandfather, candidates included Inge's illegitimate son Guttorm (who dropped out very soon), Inge's half-brother Earl Skule Bårdsson who had been appointed leader of the king's hird at Inge's deathbed and was supported by the Archbishop of Nidaros as well as part of the birkebeiners, and Haakon the Crazy's son Knut Haakonsson. Haakon succeeded Inge II; but prove his parentage through a trial by ordeal in Bergen in 1218. The result of the trial strengthened the legal basis for his kingship, and improved his relationship with the church. The saga's claim that Haakon already had been generally accepted as king in 1217/18 has however been contested by modern historians such as Sverre Bagge. Under Haakon's rule, medieval Norway is considered to have reached its zenith or golden age. His reputation and formidable naval fleet allowed him to maintain friendships with both the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, despite their conflict. He was at different points offered the Imperial Crown by the Pope, but Haakon declines and supported his ally, Conrad FitzCountess, Duke of Swabdia in the 1254 first imperial election which other candidate is King Alfonso X of Castile, which Conrad won and first elected Holy Roman Emperor as Conrad III. But four years later, Conrad claims rightful ruler as King of Italy. At the end of his rule added Iceland and the Norse Greenland community to his kingdom, leaving Norway at its territorial height. Although he for the moment managed to secure Norwegian control of the islands off the northern and western shores of Great Britain, he fell ill and died on 16 December 1263 at the age of 58 or 59, when wintering in Orkney following some military engagements with the expanding Scottish kingdom. Stats and equipment Trivia Category:Monarchs Category:Kingdom of Norway Category:Rulers